Newsy: "What Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?" Question Finally Solved

British researchers say they’ve finally answered which came first — the chicken or the egg. See which one did and why.

It’s a story that can only be described as groundbreaking. Scientists have answered the age-old question: Which came first — the chicken or the egg? Media are astounded.

ABC says: “It has remained one of life’s unsolved mysteries…”

And food news site EatDrinkandBe says that: “A debate raging for centuries may have finally been solved…”

So which came first? After two years of research, British scientists discovered that a protein found in chicken ovaries is necessary for forming chicken eggs. So, they say, eggs must come from chickens, and it’s the chicken that existed first. 

Sky News explains the science: “Hens produce a protein called OC-17. Using a supercomputer to zoom in on the egg-making process, scientists saw that OC-17 speeds up the conversion of calcium carbonate into calcite crystals, which make up the egg shell.”

Still, there are some naysayers. An anchor on NBC’s South Carolina affiliate, WYFF, is highly skeptical: “I don’t see how you’ve solved this. What you’ve proven, by a computer, is that eggs can only be formed, chicken eggs can only be formed, by chickens — but chickens can only be formed by chicken eggs. ... I’m not convinced in the slightest.”

“Well then why did we do the cotton pickin’ story?”

“You know what? Throw that away. It’s garbage.”

But others are grateful, and want more answers. CBS’ Los Angeles affiliate, KCAL, poses an even bigger question: “Now scientists can concentrate on the more important question: Why did the chicken cross the road?”

What do you think of this research? And dare we ask… which do you think came first?

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.